Blog tour: The Newlyweds

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Newlyweds by Mansi Choksi!

More about the book…

Twenty-first century India is a culture on fast forward, a society which is changing at breakneck speed, where two out of every three people are under the age of thirty-five. These young men and women grew up with the internet, smartphones and social media. But when it comes to love, the weight of thousands of years of tradition cannot so easily be set aside.

An extraordinary work of reportage, The Newlyweds is a portrait of modern India told through the stories of three young couples, who defy their families to pursue love. The lesbian couple forced to flee for a chance at a life together. The Hindu woman and Muslim man who must escape under the cover of night after being harassed by a violent mob. And the couple from different castes who know the terrible risk they run by marrying.

More about the author…

Mansi Choksi is a writer based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Mumbai, India. The Newlyweds is her first book.

My impressions…

A great piece of literary journalism. While honeymooning in India as part of a same-sex couple (yes, that was fun!), the relationship between Indians and love / marriage is something that sparked many questions and, while not necessarily providing any definite answers, this book has scratched an itch. The behaviours of people and the political, social and economic conditions of the country they live in are inevitably linked, and The Newlyweds offers a great example of this. Would you put love before tradition and family expectations? What could happen if you did? Mansi Choksi shares the story of three couples with impartiality and heart.

Three words to describe it. Informed. Informative. Relevant.

Do I like the cover? Yes, I love the bold colours and the photographic strips. Are we looking at them or are those eyes looking at us?

Have I read any other books by the same author? This is the author’s first book and I’d be interested in reading more of her work in the future.

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